Spotlight: Break the Story. Break the Silence. Break the Archbishop.

Break the man, John Nienstedt.

News that former Archbishop John Nienstedt showed up in a parish in Michigan and is working there - or helping out seems to have become public concern:

According to the January 10, 2016 bulletin of Saint Philip Roman Catholic Church in Battle Creek, Michigan, Archbishop Nienstedt has found a job serving as an assistant priest at the parish, which is located in the Diocese of Kalamazoo.

Per the Pastor's Column (see below, page two), Nienstedt will have an office at the parish center, but will be living at the neighboring Church of Saint Joseph. His duties will include covering masses in the absence of the pastor, visiting the sick and homebound, and assisting with 'various pastoral ministries'. - Canonical Consultation

The matter reemerged on last week's news regarding Nienstedt's move from the Archbishop's residence in St. Paul, Minnesota and reports of relocating to Battle Creek, Michigan.  I haven't followed anything about the archbishop since his resignation - evidently he is still being hounded by his enemies and those outraged over his lack of transparency and refusal to make public the findings of the so-called Greene Espel report.

It was in July of 2014 that Commonweal Magazine broke the story that Archbishop John Nienstedt had authorized an investigation into his own conduct as a result of complaints received from priests, former priests, and seminarians. That investigation was entrusted to, and then removed from, a team of attorneys from the Greene Espel law firm in Minneapolis. While the results of the investigation have never been made public, what is known is that at least one matter under investigation was the emeritus Archbishop's relationship with Curtis Wehmeyer, a former priest of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis currently serving prison sentence for sexually abusing minors. - CC

The Battle Creek Enquirer has more on the story here:

He is accused of making “unwanted sexual advances” toward seminarians, retaliating against one who rebuffed him, interfering with a church sexual misconduct investigation and concealing the crimes of predator priests.

But he’s good enough for western Michigan Catholics, at least in the view of Kalamazoo’s Catholic bishop.

[T]wo disturbing signals are sent by Nienstedt’s new position. Victims, witnesses, whistleblowers and betrayed Catholics are essentially being told “Your pain doesn’t matter. We’ll put any cleric anywhere we like.” And worse, Catholic employees are essentially being told, “No matter how much hurt you cause, if you’re a priest or bishop, you’ll always have a place on the Catholic church payroll.” - Enquirer

 I disagree that these are the messages sent by the exiled Nienstedt in his new position.  It's misplaced zeal and hyperbole intended to destroy a man.  I don't believe 'victims' could have that impression - what were the lawsuits about?  I can't help but believe this is what the 'disgruntled' say and want people to believe.  I'm convinced there is an underlying anticlecricalism motivating the hounding of Nienstedt.  I think it is somewhat similar to the Church Militant vendetta against Dolan in NYC.  I might be wrong, but I'm very suspicious of this ongoing pursuit against Nienstedt.

I can't imagine Nienstedt is a threat to any child, or young adult, especially if he is simply helping out covering masses in the absence of the pastor, visiting the sick and homebound, and assisting with 'various pastoral ministries'.  

Sadly, he seems to be on his own - no one to defend him.  It's vendetta and they are going for the kill.

h/t JE